Until 1st May, 2025
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A SCHIST RELIEF OF QUEEN MAYA AND A FEMALE DEITY, ANCIENT REGION OF GANDHARA
Lot 185 - FAS0425
Expert’s note: This fragment originates from a once large frieze that captured the iconic moment of Queen Maya standing gracefully in a sacred grove, giving birth to Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who would later become the Buddha. The scene, a cornerstone of Buddhist art, depicts the infant Siddhartha being gently received by the god Indra, symbolizing the divine significance of his birth. Surrounding them, other celestial beings and deities stand in reverent attendance, their gestures and expressions conveying awe and devotion. The composition, though incomplete, retains an aura of sacredness and monumental narrative, offering a glimpse into the artistic and spiritual depth of the original frieze.
Kushan period, 2nd-3rd century AD. Finely carved with Queen Maya dressed in a kaftan and adorned with jewelry, standing with a female deity under a leafy canopy, their faces with serene expressions marked by almond-shaped eyes, gently arched brows, and bow-shaped lips, each wearing wavy hairstyles, hers held together by a wreath.
Provenance: From a private collection in France.
Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, obvious losses, signs of weathering and erosion, encrustations, nicks, scratches.
Weight: 20.7 kg (incl. stand)
Dimensions: Height 38 cm (excl. stand), 48 cm (incl. stand)
Literature comparison:
Compare a related relief depicting the birth of Buddha, dated to the Kushan period, early 3rd century, in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution. Compare a related relief depicting the birth of Buddha, dated to the Kushan period, late 2nd-early 3rd century, in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, accession number EAOS.3.
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